Medical coding device



Dec. 8, 1964 s. -M. BRAGG ETAL 3,160,155

MEDICAL comma DEVICE Filed April 1, 1963 INVENTORJ SHERMAN M. BRAGG IDAM. LEONARDINI JACK L. WARREN United States Patent Office I 3,l6d,l55Patented Dec. 8, 1964 and lack L. Warren, Sacramento, Calih, assignorsto Medi-Dode, inn, a corporation of (Jalifornia Filed Apr. 1, 1963, her.No. 269,331 2 Claims. (Cl. 128-1) The invention relates to' a device forsystematically marking people with a permanent mark designating themedical characteristics specific to each of the persons so marked.

The daily newspapers and the medical journals are replete with examplesof persons, such as diabetics, bleeders, and others having conditionsrequiring special treatment and precautions. In the event these peopleare injured in an accident, or are found unconscious, prompt action isnecessary, preferably by aphysician. For entirely correct action, someform of .indici-a readily available on the affected person is almostmandatory.

Heretofore, these indicia have taken the form of devices worn about thewrist, ankle or neck, comparable to the dog-tags used at various timesby members of the armed forces.

By and large, however, devices such as bracelets, anklets, medallionsand emblems, while valuable in indicating blood type, hidden medicalproblems, or dangerous drug allergies, have been incapable of conveyinga large number of medical characteristics and collective conditions suchas allergies to horse serum, penicillin, diabetes, epilepsy, glaucoma,hemophilia, taking anticoagulants, myasthenia gravis, allergy to beestings or wearing contact lenses.

Furthermore, while these mechanical devices are effective to alert theemergency attendant they are of use only so long as they are worn.Frequently, persons who are allergic to or are afiected by objects,particularly metal objects, in contact with their skin, prefer to removethe attached devices since the devices themselves produce an allergy.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a medical markerwhich is itself totally free from producing an allergic reaction.

It is another object of the invention to provide a medical system whichobviates the need for physical attachments to the wearers ankle, neck orwrist.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a medical codewhich is uniform in placement so that the attending physician knowsimmediately Where to look for the information desired.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a system which isuniversal in application in the sense that it is not dependent uponovercoming the barriers of language for its effectiveness.

It is a yet further object of the invention'to provide a medicalidentification device and method which can be expanded to coversubstantially all characteristics ordinarily encountered in a humanbeing.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a medical codesystem wherein new specific conditions and medical problems can readilybe added, wherein changed or overcome conditions can be so designated.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a generallyimproved medical code and survival system.

Other objects, together with the foregoing, are attained in thefollowing description and shown in the accompanyto mark conditions whichhave changed, the open circles indicating the added openings.

While the device and method of the invention are susceptible of numerousphysical embodiments and procedural steps depending upon the environmentand the requirements of use, substantial numbers of the herein shown anddescribed embodiment have been made, tested and used in the manner setforth, and all have performed in an eminently satisfactory fashion.

It is to be realized, of course, that maximum benefit is to be gained byuse of the system on a world-wide or universal, scale. This means thatlanguage, per se, is replaced by symbols including color and geometry,or relative location of elements, and keyed to a universal code.

Fundamental is the Greek Delta, or A, or triangle, understood in allcultures.

This shape is represented in FIG. 1 as essentially a twodimensionaldevice, or template 6 of any suitable material and in the form of anequilateral triangle. The template is pierced in a correspondinggenerally triangular arrangement by a plurality of openings.

Preferably, the apex 8 of the triangular template member 6 is pointedupwardly and, as appears most clearly in FIG. 1, the single opening 11,at the apex, plus the three openings 12, 13 and 14, in the rowimmediately below, are devoted to designation of the persons bloodtype,a characteristic which does not change throughout the persons life.

In usin the template, the template is placed on the persons skinadjacent the right armpit, either on the inner side of the arm or on thepersons side adjacent the armpit, and with the apex of the templateoriented upwardly, i.e. toward the armpit.

A suitable stylus or needle or other appropriate device for marking theskin with indelible red orgreen ink, or

dye, is thereupon utilized. The point of the stylus, having either thered or green ink thereon, as appropriate, is inserted through theappropriate one of the openings 11-1 in the template so as to mark ordot permanently the skin exposed through the openings, and in apredetermined pattern.

Blood type markings, as stated above, are effected through the openingslids and are designated in accordance with the following code:

As will be further noted by reference to FIG. 1, it can be seen that inthe third row there are five openings, designated, from left to right,by reference numerals 20 through 24-. In a comparable manner, theopenings in the bottom row are designated 30-35. These openings are ofthe same diameter (preferably one-sixteenth of an inch) as theblood-type openings iii-14, and thus also allow a marking stylus to beinserted therethrough so as to dot the skin behind the template with apredetermined pattern of red and green dots. While red and green arepreferred, owing to the universal significance attached to red as asignal for danger, and green for safety, other contrasting colors couldbe used if essential to use other colors.

Following is the code designating the meaning of the dots marked on theskin through the corresponding openings -35.

Dot or opening: Code meaning 20 Penicillin. 21 Anti-biotics. 22 CaineDrugs. 23 Morphine, 24 Merthiolate. Diabetes.

31 Heart ailment. 32 Epilepsy.

33 Asthma.

34 Hay fever. 35 Dermatitis.

A red dot in any of the foregoing locations means that the person iseither allergic to the drugs specified or is affiicted with one of theailments set forth. A green dot in any of the locations, on the otherhand, means that the person is not allergic to the drug or is notafiected with the ailment.

Contrary to the blood-type situation, which remains fixed throughout thepersons life, allergies and ailments :an change.

We have, therefore, provided a scondary template 36 (see FIG. 2) whichdillers from the basic, or primary, template 6, in that the secondarytemplate 36 is provided with two additional rows of openings. The twotemplates are identical, however, in all other respects, both being inthe shape of an equilateral triangle, each leg of which, preferably, isone inch in length.

For purposes of clarity, the openings in the secondary template 36 inregistry with the openings in the primary template 6 are filled in, andthe identical opening numbers are assigned, as in the case of thetemplate 6. The iew, or additional, openings in the secondary template36 appear as open circles and are designated, left to right (see FIG. 2)as 58-54 in the upper row, and as 6065 in he lower row. I

It will be noted that the additional openings are located directly aboveand are in close juxtaposition to the cor- 7esponding openings in theprimary template. F or example, the opening 51 is directly above theopening 21 (anti-biotics). This enables a physician to alter theiniormation on the dot pattern to conform with changing :ircumstances.If, for example, the person originally :howed no allergic reaction toanti-biotics (and thus orignally had a green dot at location 21), butlater developed such an allergy, the physician, by placing thesecondary:emplate in registry over the original triangular dot pat- :ern, couldmark a red dot on the skin through the openng 51 corresponding to theanti-biotic opening 21. This, In effect, counterrnands or reverses theoriginal unit of information and indicates that the bearer is allergicto anti-biotics.

It is to be noted at this juncture that the secondary :emplate would notbe necessary were dyes available which, while being otherwise permanent,could, for example, be neutralized and then replaced by the opposite:olor. In other words, if the original dot 21 were green, and the personlater developed an allergic reaction to anti- JlOtlCS, the green dot 21could itself be changed to a red color.

As another alternative in meeting a change in the persons condition, asecond or new triangular pattern of dots could be marked on the skin ata location immediately below the first pattern, the second patternshowing the latest or current status.

It is believed that marking the medical code pattern on the personsepidermis is by far the preferable way. However, it would be possible tomark a dog-tag which .could be worn by the person, or to mark a platewhich could be carried by the person.

The codes set forth above were worked out after most careful study. Itis to be recognized, however, that other arrangements and differentdesignations are possible. In fact, additional dots could be provided tocover additional ailments and allergies. An excessive number of dots,however, might tend to confuse the attendant in an emergency situation,and for this reason an inordinate number of dots is to be avoided.

Basic to the full success of the entire system is the need for universaluniformity, which could eventually be achieved, for example, through theofiices of a recognized, world-wide group, such as the World HealthOrganization.

What is claimed is:

1. A medical coding template comprising an equilateral triangular platehaving a base and a pair of sides converging in an apex opposite saidbase, said plate having a plurality of openings adapted to receive amarking stylus, said openings including a single opening adjacent saidapex, a'first row of three aligned equally spaced openings parallel tosaid base and removed from said single opening toward said base apredetermined distance such that said three openings form with saidsingle opening an equilateral triangular outline similar to the shape ofsaid equilateral triangular plate, said openings also including a secondrow of aligned, spaced openings parallel to said base and removed fromsaid first row a distance equal to said predetermined distance, and athird row of aligned, spaced openings parallel to said base and removedfrom said second row a distance equal to said predetermined distance,said openings in said second and said third rows being located so thateach of the end openings in said second row form with the respectiveadjacent end openings and next to end openings in said third row asubstantially right triangular outline dissimilar in configuration tosaid equilateral triangular outline formed by said single opening andsaid three openings in said first row, each of said openings in saidplate corresponding to a predetermined unit of medical information.

2. The device of claim 1 further characterized by a fourth row ofopenings spaced equi-distantly between said first row and said secondrow, said fourth row having a plurality of openings equal in number andspacing to the openings in said second row, and a fifth row of openingsspaced equi-distantly between said second row and said third row, saidfifth row having a plurality of openings equal innumber and spacing tothe openings in said third row, said openings in said fourth and saidfifth row corresponding to predetermined units of medical informationidentical with those assigned to the openings in said second and saidthird rows, respectively.

1,995,204 =F0rd Mar. 19, 1935 Nelson Apr. 27, 1954

1. A MEDICAL CODING TEMPLATE COMPRISING AN EQUILATERAL TRIANGULAR PLATEHAVING A BASE AND A PAIR OF SIDES CONVERGING IN AN APEX OPPOSITE SAIDBASE, SAID PLATE HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS ADAPTED TO RECIEVE AMARKING STYLUS, SAID OPENINGS INCLUDING A SINGLE OPENING ADJACENT SAIDAPEX, A FIRST ROW OF THREE ALIGNED EQUALLY SPACED OPENINGS PARALLEL TOSAID BASE AND REMOVED FROM SAID SINGLE OPENING TOWARD SAID BASE APREDETERMINED DISTANCE SUCH THAT SAID THREE OPENINGS FORM WITH SAIDSINGLE OPENING AN EQUILATERAL TRIANGULAR OUTLINE SIMILAR TO THE SHAPE OFSAID EQUILATERAL TRIANGULAR PLATE, SAID OPENINGS ALSO INCLUDING A SECONDROW OF ALIGNED, SPACED OPENINGS PARALLEL TO SAID BASE AND REMOVED FROMSAID FIRST ROW A DISTANCE EQUAL TO SAID PREDETERMINED DISTANCE, AND ATHIRD ROW OF ALIGNED, SPACED OPENINGS PARALLEL TO SAID BASE AND REMOVEDFROM SAID SECOND ROW A DISTANCE EQUAL TO SAID PREDETERMINED DISTANCE,SAID OPENINGS IN SAID SECOND AND SAID THIRD ROWS BEING LOCATED SO THATEACH OF THE END OPENINGS IN SAID SECOND ROW FORM WITH THE RESPECTIVEADJACENT END OPENINGS AND NEXT TO END OPENINGS IN SAID THIRD ROW ASUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT TRIANGULAR OUTLINE DISSIMILAR IN CONFIGURATION TOSAID EQUILATERAL TRIANGULAR OUTLINE FORMED BY SAID SINGLE OPENING ANDSAID THREE OPENINGS IN SAID FIRST ROW, EACH OF SAID OPENINGS IN SAIDPLATE CORRESPONDING TO A PREDETERMINED UNIT OF MEDICAL INFORMATION.